Scars & Stars

It is often the case that there are no easy answers, and more so when it comes to things that really matter; how is one to deal with the pain, how is one to face it, to contain and overcome it, to transform it into perceptiveness, compassion, empowerment?

I do not claim to have answers; not least of all, each of us inevitably formulates their own set of answers, in their own time.

I do, nonetheless, have my own fair share of scars. They're kind of ugly. As they lay silent on me, most of the time I forget they're even there. Scars tend to fade into black, unless of course there is something coming along the way. They then turn into delicate little stars, always glowing in the dark and whispering softly in my ear that it is of no importance how many more times it will get me down; the only thing that matters is how many times I will get back up again.

Now, I know this may not be a solution to everything, but isn't it a fine place to start?

For M.

The Gathering  Your Troubles Are Over   (Home, 2006) 

Towards the light
I will move on
And so I learn to move
The one before the next
The steps I take
Will pay the road ahead of me

I woke this morning
Wondering if I was alive
My head was spinning in circles
Turning to the other side
Bare and broken I hold on to walk

I stumbled over my body
I stumbled over my words
On control upon all wasted
As if I were beyond belief
Bare and broken I hold on to walk

Towards the light
I will walk
I will walk
Towards the light
I will walk
I will walk
Towards the light

Faster than
The speed of mind
Both my arms are wrapped around
This new experience

My head in clouds
My feet firmly on the ground

Towards the light
I will walk
And wrapped my arms around the ground
Beneath my feet

Towards the light
I will run
I will run
I will run
Towards the light

Towards the light
I will move on
And so I learn
To move
The one before
The next steps I take
Will pay the road ahead of me 


Words by Anneke van Giersbergen